


Separate Lives

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Original Character - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2000-08-28
Updated: 2000-08-28
Packaged: 2019-05-15 14:57:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14792675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: There is trouble in Paradise.





	1. Separate Lives

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

RATING: PG  
DISCLAIMER: I own KD Brody and David Beckwith but that's it. All other  
characters are property of Aaron Sorkin and the people who pay him.  
NOTES: Death threats are expected, but please people, no curses. No voodoo  
dolls. Thank you.  
SUMMARY: Trouble in paradise.

KD walked through the hallways with a smile on her face. It was a good  
day so far, a beautiful one. She'd never felt so good as she did today.  
Normally, she would suspect that to mean that it was going to be the worst  
day of her life, but she didn't feel like being pessimistic today. She patted  
David on the head and moved past him to the Oval office where the staff  
meeting was waiting to begin. She moved in, swatted Josh on the head with the  
file she was carrying and then plopped down on the couch next to Toby.  
"Hey! What was that for?" Josh asked, pretending to rub his head. KD  
laughed and shrugged.  
"Just an affectionate act." She replied as Toby slipped his arm around  
her, not taking his eyes off the paper he was reading. "See, watch." She  
added and then swatted Toby on the head. He jumped and looked at her in  
bewilderment. She grinned at him and then laughed as he swatted her with his  
own papers. Josh laughed as he watched Toby attack KD on the couch. He'd  
never seen Toby be so playful before. In fact, he couldn't remember ever  
seeing Toby playful. The doors to Josh's right opened to reveal the entrance  
of the President and Leo. Jed Bartlet grinned when he saw Toby trying to  
smother KD with a pillow and then cleared his throat, putting on a mocking  
stern expression.  
"Is this the white house or the romper room?" He asked darkly. Toby and  
KD looked up at him sheepishly. He raised an eyebrow and then closed his eyes  
as KD threw a pillow into his face.  
"All right, all right, that's enough." Leo started before Jed picked up  
the pillow and whacked him softly on the head. Leo looked at his president in  
shock and then held out his hand. "Give me the pillow, Mr. President." He  
said sternly. Jed laughed and handed it over.  
"You're no fun, Leo." Jed exclaimed before getting a whack on the head  
from Leo.  
"If you say so, Mr. President." Leo replied as he put the pillow back on  
the couch and moved to sit in one of the armchairs. Jed chuckled and found a  
seat in the other one. Josh sat on the couch next to CJ while Sam moved in  
through the door, puffing a little.  
"Am I late?" He asked between breaths.  
"Just barely." Leo exclaimed.  
"Bad boy." KD teased.  
"Sit down, Sam." Jed gestured to an empty chair. Sam nodded and moved to  
sit. He averted his gaze from all the grinning members of the staff and just  
flipped absentmindedly through his agenda, not really realizing that he was  
holding it upside down.  
"What's first today?" Josh asked.  
"We have to make sure that the week of July 26th is free." Jed exclaimed.  
KD laughed and looked at him.  
"You're gonna clear a week for our wedding? How sweet." She cooed. Toby  
held KD close and looked at the President in something similar to surprise.  
This was the first he heard of the President closing down his days.  
"Well, I figure that week's gonna be hectic anyway. I remember what  
weddings are like, ya know." Jed retorted.  
"Joss, you've been married for nearly thirty-five years. How can you  
remember what it was like?" KD asked.  
"We'll see what we can do, Mr. President, but I think cutting off that  
whole week would be a little too much." Leo exclaimed.  
"I know. I was just seeing how much I could get." Jed admitted. "And kid,  
those kinds of things, you never forget." He added to KD. She smiled at him  
and nodded before snuggling into Toby.  
"So mark your calendars everyone. July 26th, we're gonna have a wedding."  
Leo announced. "Now, no offense to the happy couple, but could we move on?  
We've got to talk about 604 and KD's medical research." He added as the  
meeting moved on to become more serious.

"David, do I have any meetings before lunch?" KD asked as she walked up  
to her assistant's desk.  
"Yeah, you're gonna see O'Connor at eleven but that's it. After lunch is  
a different story. Seems every politician and his brother in DC wants to talk  
to you today." David replied as he looked over her schedule.  
"Do any of them have more than fifteen minutes?" She asked.  
"O'Connor's got twenty, O'Dwyer's got fifteen and LeBrandt's got twenty."  
David read off. KD nodded, tapped him on the head with her file and moved  
into her office.  
"Got it. David, get me Chris Wick on the phone, would you?" She called.  
David nodded and moved to the phone. As he looked through the rolodex, he  
looked up to see a strange woman approaching his desk. Inside, KD dug through  
her papers and hummed softly as she tried to find the briefing she'd written  
for CJ to give to the press.  
"Um, boss?" David asked as he leaned in the door.  
"You got Chris Wick on the phone?" KD asked without looking at him.  
"No, but there's someone here to see you." David started.  
"Send him in and get me Wick on the phone. Chop, chop, we're on a  
schedule here." She said playfully. David nodded to her and then to the  
visitor before going to the phone. KD glanced up at the woman and smiled.  
"Hang on just a second." She said before she ducked under her desk to grab a  
rollaway pen. She stood up again and noticed the woman with auburn-hair was  
smiling politely. KD tilted her head a bit, trying to place the face.  
"Dr. Brody, it's a pleasure to meet you." The woman exclaimed. KD paused  
and nodded.  
"Good, I'm not crazy. Thought I'd never seen you before, but hey, I was  
right." She exclaimed as she held out her hand. "To whom am I speaking?" She  
asked after the woman shook her hand.  
"My name is Andrea Wyatt." The woman replied. KD stopped still and stared  
blankly, a nervous smirk on her face.  
"Oh. Oh, you would be... be the Andrea Wyatt, nai?" She asked. Wyatt  
nodded, still smiling. "Okay, then. Um, I'm waiting on a phone call that's  
kind of important, so would you mind just giving me a few minutes to talk to  
him?" KD asked.  
"Of course. Do you want me to wait outside?" Wyatt replied.  
"Yeah, please." KD asked weakly. Wyatt nodded and moved outside. KD  
grabbed the phone as it rang and started talking to the young senator about  
medical research, slightly nervous that her fiancé's ex-wife was standing  
outside her office. Five minutes later, she hung up and moved to the door.  
"Congresswoman Wyatt, come on in." She said softly before returning to her  
desk. She sat down and looked at the woman as she moved into the office and  
closed the door behind her. "What can I do for you, congresswoman?" KD asked  
uncertainly.  
"I heard that you and Toby are engaged to be married." Wyatt started  
slowly. "I wanted to stop by and congratulate you two." She said softly. KD  
relaxed a little and smiled.  
"Thank you." She said softly.  
"I also wanted to talk to you about a few things." Wyatt added. KD  
nodded, feeling slightly more at ease.  
"Sure. Talk away." She said with a smile

TBC... .  
Feedback? Comments? Please?

~D.C.  
Batman

  

  


	2. Separate Lives 2

RATING: PG  
DISCLAIMER: See Part 1  
NOTES: See Part 1  
SUMMARY: Trouble in Paradise

Toby sighed and tapped a few more keys. He was trying to get into the  
train of thought that he needed when he had to write a speech or a brief or  
anything. The part of his job that was the hardest was getting into the zone.  
As his fingers began to fly and the words poured out of him, a knock at the  
door brought him back out of the zone, right back where he started. He wilted  
and collapsed back into his chair.  
"What??" He snapped. KD opened the door and stepped through it. He smiled  
weakly and got to his feet, but stopped when he saw the grave look on her  
face. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked softly. She shook her head and moved to  
sit down on the couch. He moved towards her but she held up her hands in a  
stopping motion and tried very hard to breathe evenly.  
"Stay there. Please, just stay there." She said softly. He stopped where  
he was and watched her, not liking what he saw.  
"Are you okay, Katy?" He asked softly.  
"No, I'm not. I... Toby, I have to go." She said softly. He frowned.  
"Go? Go where?" He asked softly.  
"I don't know yet. I have to leave. I can't stay here anymore." She  
replied weakly, staring at the floor.  
"What are you saying, Katy?"  
"I can't stay here. It's not... I can't stay here. I have to go." She  
repeated. "I'm sorry."  
"I don't know what you're trying to say, Katy, but I know I don't like  
it." Toby admitted. KD got up and walked over to him. She took one of his  
hands in hers and refused to look him in the eye.  
"I can't explain it. I'm sorry." She said softly before turning and  
walking away. Toby looked at the ring in his hand and then looked after her,  
tears coming to his eyes. He stormed out after her.  
"Katy!" He called as she moved quickly down the halls, moving away from  
him as fast as she could. She arrived back at her office and pulled David in  
before shutting the door.  
"What's going on?" David asked. "What's Toby yelling about? Why are you  
crying?" KD shook her head as she started to grab papers and put them in her  
briefcase.  
"Never mind that right now. David, I need you to do me a favor, and it's  
an order in fact." She added as she looked around randomly trying control  
herself. She wasn't doing a very good job.  
"What? What is it?" David asked softly.  
"I need you to swear to me that you will not tell anyone that Andrea  
Wyatt came to my office today." KD said, looking directly at him. David  
frowned and then looked at the door as Toby arrived and banged on it.  
"Katy, open the door." Toby said sharply.  
"Is that what this is about? Boss, what did you say to him?" David asked  
as he pointed to the door to indicate who he was talking about.  
"David, promise me. Not Ginger, not Toby, not even the President. Promise  
me." KD pleaded. "You have to promise me this."  
"No, I won't. I'll go out there and tell him right now." David retorted  
sharply.  
"Katy, open the damn door!" Toby snapped as he attracted concerned stares  
from the people around him. Josh leaned out of his office with a confused  
look on his face.  
"David, please. Just trust me on this. I'm trying to do what's best for  
everyone, the best thing I can do. It's hard, and it hurts, but you have to  
promise me this or this whole thing is for nothing." KD insisted, tears in  
her eyes. "I will deal with Toby, but first you have to promise me."  
"Why??" David asked.  
"Goddamn it, David, promise me!" KD snapped. "Trust me now and promise  
me."  
"Fine, I promise. What is going on?" David asked again. KD shook her head  
and closed the briefcase.  
"I can't explain it. I'm leaving for the day. I'll call in later once I .  
. .once I get my bearings. Keep your promise, David. You have to." She  
insisted before opening the door and moving past Toby who was quickly on her  
heels.  
"Don't you walk away from me. You owe me more than this, Katy." He said  
angrily as they moved down the hallway.  
"Toby, I'm sorry. There's nothing I can say." KD said softly as she  
arrived at the elevator and hit the key. Toby moved in front of her, but she  
averted her eyes to the floor.  
"Why won't you look at me?" Toby asked softly but sharply. KD breathed in  
sharply and shook her head.  
"I can't do this with you now. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Toby. But I can't  
do this. Things happen, things change. I just can't... I can't do this."  
She said softly and moved into the elevator. He moved in with her and held  
the ring up in front of her eyes.  
"This? You can't do this? Kind of short notice, don't you think? This  
morning, not two hours ago, you were perfectly willing to do this." He  
snapped, more hurt than angry. "What changed? Talk to me here."  
"Toby, there are so many things that even I don't understand. But the  
fact of the matter is that I was given a choice. I had to make it and no one  
else. This is what I decided." KD replied, looking away from him and the  
ring. Toby watched her with tears in his eyes.  
"Who gave you that choice? Who said you had to make it?" He asked softly.  
"What could anyone have possibly said to you in order for you to do this  
to me. I love you, Katy. Don't walk away fro me here." KD closed her eyes as  
tears streamed down her face, but then shook her head.  
"Please. Just let me be." She whispered before walking out of the open  
elevator doors and heading for her jeep. Toby stood in the elevator and  
watched the doors close again. The last sound he heard were those of a car  
engine starting and tires squealing as KD pulled out of the garage. The  
elevator moved back up again and the doors opened to an empty hallway. Toby  
shoved his hand, ring still inside, into his pocket and stepped out into the  
hallway only to feel all the eyes on him. He looked around, trying to appear  
gruff and started to slowly walk back towards his office. He passed Josh, who  
was still confused, and kept going. He reached his office, went inside and  
slammed the door behind him. He collapsed into his couch and pressed his  
fingers to his temples as he tried to figure out just what the hell had  
happened.  
Josh looked at David and then walked towards the young man. "What just  
happened here, David?" He asked softly. David shook his head and sighed.  
"I'm not even sure." The young assistant whispered. "She just went to his  
office for a few minutes and when she came back, he was following her  
yelling. She said she had to go and she did. I don't even know." He  
explained, a little bewildered.  
"Do you know what she said?" Josh asked. David shook his head.  
"She just said she had to go." He said softly.  
"Damn it." Josh muttered before patting David on the back and heading for  
Toby's office.  
"Josh, where are you going? You have a meeting with Congressman O'Dwyer  
in five minutes." Donna called. Josh stopped in his walk and cursed. Torn  
between his friend and his job, he walked back to Donna.  
"Can it wait?" He asked.  
"I don't think so. He's been calling for weeks, Josh. He's gonna be  
pissed if you blow him off." Donna informed him. Josh cursed.  
"Okay, okay. Where is he? Where am I going?" He said softly. "Let me just  
make a phone call first" He interrupted her before she started and dashed  
into his office to grab the phone.

Leo stepped forward and then looked at Ginger who was glancing worriedly  
at the door he was going to knock on. He nodded to her and then knocked  
gently. No response came. He opened the door and leaned in. The blinds were  
closed and the lights were off. The only light in the room was from Toby's  
computer screen, but the man wasn't at his desk. He was sitting on his couch,  
tapping his pen to a legal notepad and staring at Leo with eyes that wanted  
nothing other than to be left alone.  
"Toby?" Leo asked softly.  
"You know, I heard this song once." Toby started randomly. "I don't  
really know the tune and I'm not a good singer."  
"Toby." Leo started again.  
"But it was something about someone leaving, and the person being left  
felt like he was wrecked in a split second. I never thought I'd understand  
that feeling again, and yet here I am, with her ring sitting on my desk."  
Toby said quietly. Leo looked at the desk and sure enough, there in the  
center of the papers, was a small golden ring "You want to explain that to  
me?" Toby asked, almost pleading. Leo looked at him.  
"I don't know how. I'm as confused by this as you are." Leo admitted.  
"Really? Cause I'm pretty confused." Toby snapped.  
"Don't yell at me, Toby. I had nothing to do with this. I know I'm  
nowhere near as upset as you are; that would be impossible. But I'd like to  
think I'm as eager for answers." Leo retorted.  
"Funny. Your daughter, my fiancée. The same person, affects us with one  
action, and we don't know why." Toby said softly. "And the truth is that, no  
matter what, I can't do anything about it. So I have to sit here and wonder  
what happened while at the same time, I have to try and figure out a way to  
get past it. Do you think I can get past it, Leo?" Toby asked.  
"I don't know that I want it to go that far." Leo replied honestly. "I'll  
find her, Toby. I'll talk to her."  
"Thank you, Leo." Toby said weakly, his voice near cracking. Leo nodded  
and took the ring in his hand.  
"Hang on to this." Leo said softly and handed the ring back to Toby. Toby  
took it and looked at it with tears in his eyes.  
"Yes sir." He said softly.

TBC....  
Feedback? Comments? Please?

~D.C.  
Batman

  


	3. Separate Lives 3

RATING: PG  
DISCLAIMER: See Part 1, "You Flew Away" is property of the band Boyzone and  
is not mine in anyway  
NOTES: See Part 1  
SUMMARY: Trouble in Paradise

Jed Bartlet sat at his desk in the Oval office and began poking around  
his lower drawer for a piece of candy that he knew KD snuck in every morning.  
She'd come in and say hi, start to argue about something and then leave, and  
then magically, Jed would open his drawer, start fishing for a pen and come  
up with a snickers bar or licorice or something that he knew she knew he  
liked. He never did figure out how she actually got the candy into the  
drawer, but he decided that some questions are just best left unanswered. He  
sighed contentedly as he found a milky way and leaned back in his chair to  
unwrap it. Then Mrs. Landingham leaned in the door and saw the President  
sitting innocently on his hands.  
"Dr. Brody is on line three, Mr. President." She said kindly. "And if I  
do see that candy, I will take it away." She added before leaving. Jed  
chuckled as he reached for the phone.  
"Yes, mother." He murmured and grabbed the receiver. "Kid, that you?"  
"Yeah. It's me, Joss." KD's voice came through the line sounding tired  
and weak. He knew she was on her cell phone from the way the line crackled.  
But he could also tell that she'd been crying.  
"Sweetie, what's wrong? What happened?" He asked.  
"I guess no one has talked to you." She murmured. Jed looked at the door  
as Leo entered the room.  
"Talked to me about what? Katy, what's going on?" He asked. Leo's ears  
perked up and he hurried to the side of the desk. Jed mouthed the words 'what  
happened' and then tried to listen.  
"Joss, I have to go away for a while. I have to go out of town. I'm going  
to work through the net, email and call, but I can't stay in town." KD  
exclaimed shakily as she pulled her car out of the garage she shared with  
Toby and their neighbors. Once shared.  
"What are you talking about? Explain this to me." Jed asked sharply.  
"I really can't. Trust me when I say that I just can't. Things have  
gotten complicated and I just need you to agree to this. I'm doing it anyway,  
but I need you agree. Joss, I have to go." KD repeated.  
"I need some kind of explanation. Did you have a fight with Toby? Did  
something go wrong?"  
"Toby didn't do anything wrong. This isn't about him. This is about me,  
and the fact that I just can't stay. Something has come up, something has  
changed and I have to leave. I will continue to do the work you hired me to  
do, and you don't have to pay me for it." KD was practically rambling, and it  
was not something that Jed knew her to do.  
"Stop talking and breathe, Katy. I can't let you go unless you give me a  
reason here. What are you running away from?" Jed asked carefully.  
"I'm not running away. I'm just leaving, because I have to. I'll call you  
later. Just think about what I said. I'm sorry." She said one more time and  
then hung up. Jed looked at the phone and then at Leo.  
"What the hell is going on?" He asked.  
"Was that KD?" Leo asked.  
"Yeah, sounding like her heart was breaking. What the hell is going on?"  
Jed asked again.  
"A while ago, KD walked out of her office, walked to Toby's, handed him  
her ring, said she had to go and then left the wing completely." Leo reported  
slowly. Jed could see the confusion and pain in his friend's eyes and he  
shared it. He shook his head and looked at the phone.  
"She just told me that she has to leave town and she needed to hear me  
tell her it was okay." He exclaimed softly.  
"And you didn't." Leo asked.  
"No, I didn't. I tried to get an answer out of her. Mrs. Landingham!" Jed  
called as he got to his feet.  
"Yes, Mr. President?" Mrs. Landingham asked as she leaned in the door.  
"Could you call David Beckwith and ask him to come down to my office  
please?" Jed asked. She nodded and disappeared. Jed looked back at Leo who  
was debating the President's decision.  
"You think he knows something?" Leo asked.  
"I know he does. KD came into this job not wanting an assistant, but I  
know they've grown close and I'm betting he knows at least one thing or  
another." Jed replied before the door opened and the blond-haired, blue-eyed  
young man leaned his head in. "Come on in, David." Jed encouraged and moved  
to meet the young man halfway.  
"Sir, if you called me here to ask me -" David started.  
"Yeah, I did. I called you here because I want to know what's wrong with  
your boss." Jed interrupted all-knowingly.  
"I would tell you, sir, but KD told me not to say anything about what  
happened." David said, lying somewhat.  
"I don't care. I've got higher power than she does." Jed replied. "She's  
your boss, I'm her boss. My orders override hers. What happened?" He asked  
again. David hesitated.  
"A woman named Andrea Wyatt came to visit her. I don't know who she is,  
but ten minutes after she left, KD headed for Toby's office with tears in her  
eyes." He finally said.  
"Wyatt?" Jed repeated and looked at Leo in shock.  
"Oh, God. This is not good." Leo muttered.  
"Who is she?" David asked.  
"Toby's ex-wife." Jed murmured in reply as he tried to put the pieces  
together. David's eyes widen and he tried to imagine what could have  
happened. The truth was none of them knew.

Toby looked around the apartment and then dropped his jacket on the  
armchair before heading for the kitchen. He knew it was empty. He could just  
tell. He didn't know where KD was but he needed to come home just to make  
sure. It was his lunch hour and he would soon go back to work, go back to  
getting those looks from all those people who called themselves his friend.  
He couldn't stand those looks.  
Let you leave that day  
Let you walk on by  
Breaking up would pay  
But you had far more pride  
Toby stared at the wall before moving into the bedroom he'd shared with  
KD for so long. Why was she so willing to leave so fast? What had he done  
wrong? He didn't even know. It was all too confusing and he was starting to  
wonder if there was anything he could ever do to fix it. Would she ever talk  
to him again? Would he ever see her again?  
If I could give  
Would God accept me?  
Tried so hard to live, oh why?  
Did you have to go out of my life?  
Never got the chance to say goodbye  
What would he say to her if he could talk to her again? What could he ask  
of her? He loved her so much and she'd just walked away from him. There was  
nothing he could do about it, was there? No way out, no way in. Why was it so  
easy for her to walk away?  
You flew away, you flew away  
You left, you flew away  
This heart it aches  
Oh babe, you flew away  
And I cry, I pray each night to God  
Toby grabbed his jacket and left again. He didn't want to stay here a  
moment longer. He couldn't stand to stay in this place that smelled of her,  
that breathed of her. He had to go somewhere else. He got back into his car  
and drove. He didn't really know where the hell he was going to go. He didn't  
want to go back to the Wing just yet, not to go back to those stares. He  
couldn't go back to those sympathetic looks. He felt like the sympathetic  
looks just worked together to make him feel plainly pathetic.  
Sat along the bay  
Watched the stars in the sky  
Seems like yesterday  
That you were by my side  
He drove past KD's old apartment. It was very recently that she'd moved  
in with him and left that apartment behind. He paused at the crosswalk and  
looked over to his left. There was the bench he'd proposed to her on, and  
she'd said yes. It wasn't even two weeks ago, and now so much had changed.  
Toby didn't understand. He didn't want to understand. He just wanted KD to  
come back and tell him that she was wrong and she wasn't going anywhere.  
If I could give  
Would you still want me?  
And would you forgive?  
Oh, why?  
Did you have to go out of my life?  
Never got the chance to say goodbye  
He pulled the car forward and drove again. He couldn't dwell in the past.  
That's something he refused to do. This wasn't the first time he'd been  
dumped. Not the first time that the woman he loved had changed her mind and  
disappeared. He would move on. She would too and that would be the end of it.  
Toby paused. And then he realized how badly he wanted to cry. Just to cry and  
call her name and pray that she would somehow hear him and come back, come  
back to tell him that she never really left.  
You flew away, you flew away  
You left, you flew away  
This heart, it aches  
Oh, babe you flew away  
And I cry, I pray each night to God  
Tell me why  
Did you fly away?  
Pulling into his parking space at the West wing, Toby turned off the car  
and sat still for a few moments. He didn't know what to think, what to feel.  
He didn't know where she'd gone, but if he did, he would have followed her  
there. He wondered if anyone had heard from her, if anyone knew what had gone  
wrong. He wondered if it was all over, just like that. He got out of the car  
and walked to the elevator. It took him back the office he knew and he walked  
towards his office, feeling everyone's eyes on him.  
"Toby!" Josh called. Toby ignored him. "Toby, we got to talk." Josh added  
as he caught up to his friend. "Toby, David said Andrea Wyatt came to see KD  
before she left." Josh blurted out. Toby stopped and looked at his friend,  
his eyes wide. Andy?

TBC... .  
Feedback? Comments? Pleaseeeeeeeee?

~D.C.  
Batman

  


	4. Separate Lives 4

RATING: PG  
DISCLAIMER: See Part 1  
NOTES: See Part 1  
SUMMARY: Trouble in Paradise

  
If there was one thing about KD that Leo knew, it was where she would go  
now. He walked briskly along the sidewalk, trying to think of what he was  
going to say to her when he found her in the park that was close by to the  
White House and to a lake that KD loved to look out over. He saw the bench  
and he saw the person, just watching the water. He took a deep breath and  
kept going, still thinking about the words that he had to say.  
"What the hell did you do?" Leo exclaimed as he stopped by the bench. KD  
looked at him, the pain flooding through her eyes, and then looked back at  
her notebook. Leo sighed and sat next to her.  
"Nice to see you too." She muttered and scribbling something next to the  
printed text of a brief she had with her.  
"I know this wasn't your choice." Leo snapped.  
"I make my own choices." KD retorted. Her voice was cold and uneven. He  
only heard a voice like that from her when she didn't want to talk, but he  
wasn't going to be scared away.  
"What did Wyatt say to you?" Leo asked sharply. KD cursed and started  
stuffing her things into the briefcase by her side.  
"Damn that David. He promised." She snapped.  
"He had higher orders." Leo retorted. "What did she say?"  
"It's none of your business. It's mine and it's hers and that's it." KD  
replied.  
"Funny, I think Toby is somehow involved in it too." Leo returned. KD  
shook her head and got to her feet, but Leo was right on her heels. "You  
can't walk away from this, Katy. You can't just run away because someone says  
something to you. For God's sake, what did she say?"  
"Listen to me, Leo. I can't do this. If I do this with you, here, now, I  
may never be able to look at myself again in the mirror. I don't know if I  
can at this point anyway. I love Toby, but what I'm doing, I'm doing because  
it's what strikes me as the best thing for him as well as for me and everyone  
else, everyone else." KD replied harshly before starting to move away. Leo  
kept with her, angry that she couldn't open up to him.  
"The reason you won't be able to look yourself in the mirror is because  
you know this is wrong, and whatever Wyatt said to you can't be all that bad  
as to make you run away from the man you love. We're your family, Katy, and  
you can't just run away from us on a whim." He snapped.  
"Well, maybe this is what Toby wants too." KD retorted.  
"What the hell do you mean? That man was trying not to cry when I saw  
him." Leo exclaimed. KD paused and looked him. Leo hoped to God he'd reached  
her and that now she would come home where she belonged and they could just  
write this day off on hormones or something. But she shook her head and  
started moving again.  
"You haven't been there. You haven't seen the look in his eyes. He says  
he loves me but I can never stop feeling like he wants to be somewhere else.  
Leo, it's a horrible feeling when you feel it from the person you love. I  
love Toby, I do, but I honestly think we just need the time apart. In the  
end, maybe this is just what everybody needs." KD rambled as they approached  
her jeep. Leo shook his head. He couldn't believe he was hearing this.  
"Is this really you? Am I talking to some clone? The KD Brody I know  
would never just give up and walk away. He makes you happy, KD. Isn't that  
all that matters?" He asked.  
"No, it's not all that matters. I want to make him happy too, and I don't  
think I'm doing it." KD replied as she tossed her briefcase into the back and  
started searching for her keys.  
"You're running away again. You ran away from Danny, you ran away from  
LA, Minnesota, the FBI, and now it's our turn. We don't even get the  
traditional four years." Leo exclaimed dryly. KD glared at him with eyes that  
shot daggers at him. He immediately regretted what he'd said but somewhere,  
they both felt that perhaps he was right.  
"You have no right to talk to me about Danny, LA, Minnesota or the FBI.  
Sometimes I feel guilty about what happened with Danny. Sometimes I wish I  
hadn't left him and then I can still call him my own, but he's happy with CJ  
and I wish him all the lucky in the world. I went to LA and I treated gunshot  
wounds on twelve-year-olds and I'm sorry that it doesn't meet to your  
approval that I just couldn't take that anymore." She snapped. "I spent my  
time in Minnesota working for a man who made my blood boil and when he lost  
re-election, I didn't spill any tears. I joined the FBI, believing that I  
could save those very twelve-year-olds but instead I got to watch as four of  
my friends were shot down by a man who almost went free. So don't you dare  
yell at me for 'running away' from those things. I was pushed and I don't  
regret a single one of those years."  
"Katy, I'm sorry. But can you look me in the eye and tell me honestly  
that you're not running away now?" Leo pleaded. KD looked at him.  
"No. I can't. But there's nothing anybody can do about it." She said  
softly.  
"Yes, we can. Tell me what Wyatt said to you." Leo asked again. KD paused  
and then looked at him again.  
"I'll call you from the road." She whispered before climbing into her car  
and starting the engine. Leo pondered jumping into the way, but the joy of  
have a Wrangler was that cement curbs didn't bother your transmission as much  
and KD would not hesitate to drive on to the sidewalk to get away from him,  
he knew her that much. Or did he? He thought he knew her and now all he could  
do was watch as she drove away from the life that they'd started to share, as  
a father and daughter should have.  
Now what was going to happen?

David stood up quickly and moved into KD's office to ask her a question  
before remembering that she wasn't there. She wasn't there. She'd left. Why?  
Why did she leave? Was it his fault? No, but if she never came back, it would  
be his fault. Why did he tell the President about Wyatt's visit even after he  
promised KD that he wouldn't tell anyone? KD would never trust him again, and  
she would probably never come home. She would never forgive him and no one  
would ever figure out just what had gone wrong. David closed KD's door behind  
him and sat on her couch. He just wanted to hear her voice again, hear her  
say that he'd done well or that he'd screwed up monumentally.  
There was a knock at the door, and David didn't have to look to know who  
it was. There was only one person that he could stand to see right now, and  
she always knew when he needed her. The door opened and closed again as  
Ginger stepped inside and found a place to sit next to him.  
"Are you okay?" She asked softly.  
"I just wish I understood." He replied softly. She nodded.  
"It will be okay, David. She's going to come back. She can't stand to be  
away from Toby for more than two days." Ginger whispered.  
"Did you see the way she spoke to him? The way she brushed him off?"  
David asked sharply, but still softly.  
"I know. It's scary, but I have to believe that it's not over. I've  
always believed in Toby and KD, and when I see them, I see what I want to be  
with you, but I have to keep believing that true love always prevails."  
Ginger insisted. David looked into her eyes and saw her conviction.  
"This is my fault. I should have kept her here. I shouldn't have promised  
not to tell. I told the President what she told me not to, and now she'll  
never come back. She'll never trust me again." He whispered.  
"KD is confused right now. She doesn't know what she wants or what she  
needs. It's up to us to decide for her." Ginger replied. "She's going to come  
back, and she's going to trust you again when she remembers that you did it  
because you cared about her."  
"You sound so certain." David whispered.  
"It might take time, but you'll see I'm right." She replied softly as she  
snuggled into his side.  
"Yes, ma'am." He whispered back and held her close.

TBC... .  
Feedback? Comments? Pleaseeeee? Pretty please??

~D.C.  
Batman


	5. Separate Lives 5

RATING: PG  
DISCLAIMER: See Part 1, "Leave" is a song of Matchbox Twenty and is not mine  
NOTES: See Part 1, whenver you see the // //'s, those denote flashbacks.  
SUMMARY: Trouble in Paradise

Toby paced a little and then moved through the door. The small office  
seemed quaint enough. It had been a while since he'd stood in it and he  
didn't really want to be there again. He moved to the small desk and looked  
at the young person behind it. She'd gotten a new assistant.  
"May I help you?" The young man asked. Toby paused and then nodded.  
"Yeah, my name is Toby Ziegler. I'm her ex-husband. Does she have a free  
minute to just talk?" He asked. The man checked a thin book on his desk and  
then smiled at Toby.  
"Just have a seat and I'll call in." He replied and grabbed his phone.  
Toby took a seat on the leather couch in the office and tapped his fingers  
together while he waited. "Miss Wyatt? There's a Toby Ziegler here to see . .  
. Yes, I understand. Yes ma'am." The young man hung up again and then nodded  
to Toby. "Go right on in, sir." Toby nodded and got to his feet, heading for  
the door. He hesitated slightly and then moved inside. There she was, sitting  
innocently at her desk with her auburn hair set up on top of her head. She  
was wearing a business suit top and a revealing skirt that was even more so  
as she sat there with her legs elegantly crossed.  
"Hey, Toby. What brings you around here?" She asked cheerfully. Toby  
couldn't help but be infuriated at how casual she was. Didn't she know why he  
was here?  
"Did you visit Katy Brody today?" He asked softly, trying to control  
himself. It was against Leo and Josh's better judgments that he go see her so  
soon after hearing the news they'd given him, but he'd never been one to  
listen to them anyway.  
"Your fiancée? Yes, wonderful woman. Quite a catch if I might say so."  
Andy replied playfully.  
"What did you say to her?" Toby snapped.  
"What do you mean?" Came a confused reply.  
"Ten minutes after you left her office, she came to mine in tears, handed  
me her ring and left the White House." Toby explained. "Would you happen to  
know something about that?"  
"No, of course not! Toby, I just congratulated her on your engagement and  
asked her a few questions about the Medical Research Bill. I know you guys  
are gearing up for it, and that she's in charge, so I wanted to get all my  
facts straight. I would have stopped by to see you, but I figured you  
wouldn't want to see me, so I went for a walk and an early lunch." Andy  
explained. "I mean, are you accusing me of sabotaging your relationship with  
her?"  
"I'm not even sure." Toby replied honestly. "I'm just trying to find  
some sort of answer, and you were mentioned by her assistant, so I came  
looking for one." He admitted. Andy frowned as she saw the frustration in his  
eyes. She got to her feet and walked over to him.  
"You want to sit down? Talk about it maybe?" She asked as she gestured to  
the couch in her office. Toby looked around and considered it for a moment.  
Did he want to? He could remember the time while KD was in Olympia that Andy  
came to visit him and asked him to a dinner. Could Andy really be so devious  
as to sabotage the relationship he and KD had been building just for...  
what? What reason? What could come of it?  
"No, I think I'd better head back to the West Wing. I've still got some  
work to do there, no matter what's going through KD's head." He said weakly.  
Andy nodded briefly and then hugged him. A little surprised, Toby hugged back  
weakly and tried not to get lost in her scent.  
"Toby, I'm sure everything's going to be okay." She whispered. "Don't be  
so quick to lock yourself away. If you need someone to talk to, I know I'm  
not your first choice, but my door is open to you." She added as she looked  
him in the eye. Toby faltered a little bit and then nodded.  
"Thank you, Andy." He said softly before moving out of her arms. "Maybe  
I'll give you a cal later. I've got to get back." He murmured. Andy nodded  
and watched as he moved out of the room. When he shut the door behind him,  
she shook her head and moved back to her desk.  
Outside, Toby glanced at the young assistant who was sitting at his desk  
with a pair of headphones, swinging his head to some rock music that Toby  
already knew he didn't like. Where did she find these people? Toby rolled his  
eyes and moved out into the hallway. Moving briskly, he walked up to his car  
a few minutes later and climbed in. He sat still in his car for a moment and  
thought. What was she doing now, he wondered. He looked around the car and  
thought of all the things there to remind him of her, of the things they did.  
They'd had a few good times in this car, and now he wondered if they ever  
would again. He stuck the key into the ignition and turned.  
It's amazing  
How you make your face just like a wall  
How you take your heart and turn it off  
How I turn my head and lose it all  


This was it. This was the song that Toby had mentioned to Leo earlier  
that day; a song about being left and not knowing what the hell happened.  
That was what the song was about, wasn't it? That's what it meant to him  
anyway. He sat back in his seat and listened to the words, trying to sort  
each one apart. If KD could hear those words, would she think any different?

It's unnerving  
How just one move puts me by myself  
There you go just trusting someone else  
Now I know I put us both through hell

KD stared out the window of the jeep as she waited for the light to  
change. She couldn't feel anything. Her whole body felt numb and she knew  
why. Leo was right. She was running away. She was making the hard decision,  
but she felt that it had to be the right one. She couldn't let everything  
Joss stood for go to waste. She couldn't let it all go down in flames. The  
radio played softly and she just wanted to listen to it. The light changed,  
she sped forward and then she realized just what the words were saying.

I'm not saying  
There wasn't nothing wrong  
I just didn't think you'd ever get tired of me  
I'm not saying  
We ever had the right to hold on  
I just didn't wanna let it get away from me

Toby pulled the car out of his parking space and drove for the exit. As  
he pulled away, he began to think about all the choices he'd made over the  
recent years. He'd married Andy. She'd divorced him. He'd taken the job at  
the White House, a job that threatened him with an aneurysm almost every day.  
And he'd looked into KD's eyes and seen some sort of future, a future that  
now seemed to be dashing against the rocks. He didn't want that future to  
disappear, but he wasn't given a choice. If only he talk to her, find out  
what happened, maybe take the chance to prove to her that no one could force  
them apart. But someone had, and Toby didn't know who it was.  


But if that's how you're gonna leave  
Straight out from underneath  
Then we'll see who's sorry now  
If that's how it's gonna stand, when  
You know you've been depending on  
The one you're leaving now  
The one you're leaving out

KD wanted to turn the car around and speed home. She could do it; she  
believed she could. No one would ever know. She could just hide herself away,  
within Toby's view. They could live together forever and just not tell  
anyone. Then everything would be okay and she could feel Toby's arms around  
her again. But it wasn't that easy, was it? She wanted it to be, but it  
wasn't and she had to realize that. She had to understand that... she had  
to understand that it was over and the best thing to do now for everyone  
involved was to move on. She pressed the turn signal and got on to the  
freeway. She didn't know where she was going to go first, but she knew she  
had to get there. She had to get away from this city and the people in it . .  
. the people she loved.

It's aggravating  
How you threw me on  
And you tore me out  
How your good intentions turn to doubt  
How you needed time to sort it out

Toby switched the radio off, not being able to stand it anymore. He  
couldn't stand the idea that she would just leave, and yet he knew it to be  
true. He drove in silence, ignoring whatever sights passed his windows. He  
just drove. He knew where he was going, but he didn't want to stop. The only  
answer he could get had just dead-ended. He didn't know what to feel now, but  
he knew that it didn't feel good. He knew it didn't feel right.  
All the memories they shared, all the things that had happened to them. A  
little more than a year was spent holding her in his arms and now it was  
over, wasn't it? There was nothing he could do; she was just gone. All the  
things that they'd leave behind, all of them were gone.

// "Sam Seaborn, Toby Ziegler, this is KD Brody, a very young, very old  
friend of mine and Leo's." Jed introduced. Toby and Sam nodded their polite  
hellos.  
"Hey, there." Sam exclaimed.  
"Hi, nice to meet you... ." Toby muttered absentmindedly. //

Toby could remember that day when they first met. He barely paid any  
attention to her and the only thing he could do was talk about some random  
issue. He couldn't even remember what the issue was. He remembered getting  
upset when the President said KD would be staying in the White House. He  
remembered disliking her from the beginning, but also thinking from the  
beginning that she was slightly attractive. Only slightly attractive because  
he disliked her so much that he didn't want to admit being attracted to her.  
He'd done everything he could to dig up her FBI file so that he could show  
the others just what kind of person she was, but the FBI had it classified.  
He remembered when she stood up in front of the White House Press corps to  
ask a question that made his blood boil and later threatening to kill her for  
it.  
And then later that night, she showed up at his door, nearly in tears and  
he took her in. He took her in and he danced with her and he held her close  
in his arms. He finally admitted to himself that he was attracted to her, but  
that wouldn't be the time. A month later he would see her again.

// There she was. God, it had been nearly a month, and she was already back?  
She laughed, revealing the same straight, white teeth that he'd noticed the  
last time she was in town. Her soft brown hair was a little longer, resting  
on her shoulders and flowing down her back. Not much longer, but noticeably  
so. She was wearing a blue dress that sparkled in the light, as did her eyes.  
Toby found himself staring at her with a very soft expression... //

She was beautiful that night, and he couldn't believe it. It wouldn't be  
long before he held her in his arms, something he'd wanted to do. As Toby  
turned off the car and headed for the elevator, the images of the past still  
haunted him and his memory. Little did he know that somewhere else, KD was  
thinking of the same things.

// "Hey, Josh, is Toby in today?" Sam asked with a wry smile. Josh nodded.  
"Yeah, he's just a little busy, you know? He's feeling kind of shy. He  
hasn't had his coffee yet." Josh replied.  
"It's nearly three 'o' clock." CJ commented.  
"Yeah, well, I woke up late. Hey there, KD." Toby exclaimed as he stepped  
into their small circle. KD smiled and nodded.  
"Good to see you, Toby." She replied softly. CJ chuckled and glanced back  
and forth between them. //

KD sighed and smiled weakly as she pulled off the road to pull into a gas  
station. As she got out to pump the gas, she thought of those early days with  
Toby and how they were so happy together. They were happy right up until this  
morning when she had to go and throw it all away. She blinked back tears as  
she lifted the nozzle and leaned against the car to wait for her tank to  
fill. She could remember those early moments and she missed them.

// "You're saying that I'm upsetting this balance? Already?" She asked.  
"Yes, that's what I'm saying." He affirmed.  
"Sounds more like I'm just upsetting you." She retorted fiercely. He  
stared at her, his soft brown eyes gazing into her. She shifted a little in  
her stance under the gaze and began to realize that he was closing in on her,  
backing her into the desk. As she opened her mouth to draw attention to this,  
he raised a finger, quieting her. She cleared her throat and opened her mouth  
again, and again he quieted her. Soon she was leaning against the desk, and  
he was still moving closer.  
"Toby..." She started. "I know you're upset but please don't kill me.  
You would be the prime suspect, you know?" She exclaimed weakly, half joking  
and half truly afraid for her life. He put his hands on either side of her,  
resting them on the desk and leaned forward a little more. Then he tilted his  
head to the side and kissed her, very gently, and yet very sincerely. She was  
somewhat surprised, not only by the gesture but also by the fact that she was  
kissing him back. He kissed her again, his right hand moving across the desk  
until it reached the point where her hip was leaning against the wood, and  
then the hand moved up her hip and into the crook of her back. Then he jumped  
his left hand straight up to a point in her back between her shoulder blades  
and pulled her closer to him. She moaned very slightly as he continued to  
kiss her, growing more passionate with each passing second. //

That first kiss had sent warmth flying through her body and she was so  
pleased that she would get to feel it for so long. She felt it through him  
then. She felt it when they kissed outside the poker room. All those times  
that she'd been there for her, when the anniversary of her father's death  
tore at her sanity, when her mother came back from nowhere and so much more.  
When she'd been shot, he was there for her and she could feel him.  
And then there was that first night they spent together, after she'd come  
home from Olympia. That beautiful night that they spent together, the night  
would be only the first of many. How she wanted another one of those nights.  
How she wanted to turn around and go home. But she couldn't. She couldn't go  
back, not now. Maybe not ever.

// "We really are lucky, aren't we?" He whispered. "I love you so much,  
Katy." He whispered. She smiled and looked back into his eyes.  
"I love you too, Toby. I really am lucky, not just because of them but  
because I have you." She whispered to him before kissing his nose. "Hmmm.  
Alfredo." She murmured. He laughed and pulled her lips to his own.  
"You do have me, Katy. You always will, I promise you." He whispered to  
her when they pulled apart. She nuzzled his neck.  
"I'm gonna hold you to that." She whispered. //

Would things ever be the same again, she wondered. It took her so long to  
love again after her accident with Danny, and she was always happy that it  
was Toby who taught her how, but now it seemed fate had other things in mind.  
Who was she to tell fate what to do with her life? Toby had promised her  
forever, and she'd denied him that promise. She could remember the dream,  
Ross Gavin telling her that there were rough seas ahead.  
Boy was he understating the matter. KD pulled the nozzle out of the gas  
tank and went inside to pay. She bought a couple of snickers and a root beer  
and then returned to her car. She sat in the driver's seat and leaned forward  
to start the car when her cell phone rang. She glanced at it hesitantly  
before starting the car and pulling out of the station. The phone rang twice  
more before she snatched it up and pressed send.  
"KD Brody." She stammered weakly.  
"Kid." Joss Bartlet's voice said softly.  
"Joss." She whispered as she pulled on to the freeway.  
"You're going to call at least once a week, email your work." Joss  
repeated. KD blinked. Was he letting her go?  
"Yes, I promise." She replied.  
"Whatever's going on, you're going to work it out." Joss said, more of an  
order than a statement. "I expect you back here for the elections. Whatever  
you think is happening, I expect you back here for the elections or I'm  
sending the secret service out after you." KD hesitated.  
"Yes, sir." She replied softly.  
"I'll see you in January, if not before." Joss continued.  
"Yes, sir." She whispered.  
"I'll talk to you soon, Katy." Joss finished.  
"Good bye, sir." She replied.  
"Good bye, kid." Joss said before hanging up and looked at Leo.  
"I still can't believe you did that." Leo said softly.  
"She's never going to come back unless she realizes that we still respect  
her and love her. This is the best thing I can do for now until we get more  
answers." Joss explained himself. "I didn't want to upset Toby, but part of  
me feels like Wyatt didn't tell the whole truth."  
"She had no reason too. If she does have something to do with this, she's  
not going to admit it." Leo agreed.  
"So in the meantime, we're going to wait, and we're going to look for  
answers, but I'm not going to let her go out there and feel like she's on her  
own." Joss added.  
"Very good, sir." Leo replied.  
"Leo, I'm gonna go see my wife." Jed whispered as he got to his feet.  
"Very good, sir."  
"Stop sounding like a broken record."  
"I'll be in my office." Leo said with a soft smirk and disappeared. Jed  
headed out the door and for his wife's office. He stopped in front of Lillie  
Mays's office.  
"Is she in right now?" He asked softly.  
"Yes, Mr. President. Go right on in." Lillie replied. He nodded and moved  
into his wife's office. Abbey looked up at him as he came in and saw the  
disturbed look on his face.  
"What is it, Jed?" She asked softly.  
"KD left." He replied shakily.  
"Left?" Abbey repeated.  
"She handed Toby her ring and left. Leo's talked to her, but she's gone.  
She left the city. I don't know where she's going." He explained.  
"Oh, my God. Did she explain herself? Did she say why? Have you talked to  
her?" Abbey asked quickly as she got to her feet. KD was like a daughter to  
her, and she knew that Jed had mixed feelings about the younger woman, but  
they both cared for a great deal.  
"She said she had to go, repeatedly, but nothing else. David said that  
ten minutes before it al started, Andrea Wyatt came to visit KD, but Toby  
talked to Wyatt and she said they just talked about the Medical Research  
Bill." Joss gave all the information he had. "I wish I knew what to do, but I  
can't stop working to deal with this." He murmured. Abbey hugged him and  
nodded.  
"I know. It feels so hard to be divided between your job and the things  
you want to do." She agreed.  
"I told her she had to come back before the primaries." He exclaimed.  
Abbey nodded and looked him in the eye.  
"She'll come to her senses." She assured him. "She just needs some time,  
I guess."  
"She's never allowed herself to be happy. She always takes things and  
throws them away." Jed muttered. "Is that what she's doing now? Is she afraid  
to be happy, so she's running away from it?"  
"Partly, I guess. I don't know if we can even guess that type of thing  
yet." Abbey whispered as she played with her husband's ear absentmindedly.  
"Only she knows, and maybe Andrea Wyatt. All I can do is pray that she will  
come back and she will let herself be happy."  
"I do too." Jed murmured and held his wife close. "God, I do too."

TBC... .  
Feedback? Comments? Pleeaseee?? You know you wanna comment.

~D.C.  
Batman

  


	6. Separate Lives 6

RATING: PG  
DISCLAIMER: See Part 1, "Now And Forever" is a Carole King song (You may have  
heard it if you've seen the movie "A league of their own") and is not mine.  
NOTES: See Part 1  
SUMMARY: Trouble in Paradise

Toby walked into his apartment. His apartment, not theirs. The day was  
finally over and he was still alone. He managed to get away from the looks  
and the stares. He'd gotten away from the so-called friends and now he was  
safe at home where he could mourn in peace. That's what he was doing:  
mourning. He'd lost someone he loved very much and he was in mourning now. He  
didn't know how else to describe it. As he moved to the refrigerator to get a  
beer, the phone rang. He answered it eagerly, hoping to hear KD's voice.  
"Hello?" He said softly.  
"Toby?" Andy's voice came through the other end. He relaxed, a little  
disappointed.  
"Yeah, it's me." He replied.  
"Are you okay? I was just calling to check on you, make sure you were all  
right." She exclaimed. Toby sighed and leaned against the counter.  
"I don't know how I am." He admitted.  
"I still think you need to talk about it. I can't pressure you into  
anything, but would you like to meet for a drink or something and you can get  
it off your chest?" She asked. Toby hesitated.  
"Andy, are you asking me out again?" He said softly. There was silence  
for a moment on the other line.  
"I'm just asking you if you want to meet for a drink so you can talk  
about what's bothering you. I know I'm not the first candidate that comes to  
mind for something like this, but I just want you to know I'm here for you if  
you want to talk to someone, anyone, even me." Andy replied finally. Toby  
paused and looked at the clock. "So do you want to meet me or not?"

Josh glanced at KD's empty office before returning to his own. Donna  
walked in and looked at him. Josh was so morbid now, so solemn. He was so  
depressed by what had happened to KD and Toby. She couldn't think of the  
exact reason why, but she had a feeling that it had something to do with the  
way Josh felt about KD and the way he felt about Toby. He thought of KD as a  
little sister and Toby as a big brother, and whenever he saw them together,  
he would grin like an idiot. Now he was just slouching around his office.  
"Josh, it was time to go home an hour ago." She said softly.  
"I know, I was just doing some stuff." Josh replied.  
"Stuff I couldn't do for you?" She asked. He smiled and nodded.  
"Yeah." He assured her and grabbed his jacket. "And I'll show you what  
they are right now. Come on." He said as he grabbed his briefcase and locked  
his office door. Donna shook her head at him while smiling and moved with him  
out of the West Wing. She watched him as he opened the car door and helped  
her inside. She laughed as he helped her out again in the parking lot of the  
restaurant where they first shared dinner.  
"Josh, what are you up to?" She asked playfully as they sat down at a  
secluded table.  
"Something I should have done a long time ago." Josh replied uncertainly.  
"Listen, Donna, I've been thinking... about KD and Toby and I was  
wondering if that could ever happen to us."  
"Oh, Josh, you don't have to worry about that." Donna interrupted softly.  
Josh waved his hands and then took hers in his own.  
"Just let me do this, Donna, okay?" He whispered. "Donna, I want you to  
know that I will always love you, and that I will always be there for you. I  
don't want us to end up like them. Two people who were madly in love suddenly  
split apart for no reason; I don't want that for us." He paused.  
"Josh, what are you saying?" Donna asked softly. Josh paused and then  
reached into his jacket pocket. Donna gasped as she saw the small black box  
in his hand. He fingered it for a second.  
"I've had this for a while. I didn't know how or when to give it to you;  
all I knew was that I wanted to give it to you." He whispered, a twinkle in  
his eye. She looked at him, joyful tears in her eyes. He moved out of his  
chair and knelt next to her, opening the box and revealing the golden diamond  
ring inside. "Donatella Moss, will you please do me the honor of becoming my  
wife?" He asked softly as he held the ring up to her. She stared at him,  
speechless as tears came to her eyes. She smiled at him and nodded.  
"Yes, Josh. Yes, I will." She whispered. He smiled as he slipped the ring  
out of the box and on to her finger. Then he leaned forward and hugged her  
tightly.  
"I love you." He said softly in her ear.  
"I love you too." She replied just as softly.  
"Wanna eat dinner now?" He asked playfully.  
"Yes, Josh. Anything you want." She teased as they looked into each  
other's eyes and then kissed gently.

Now and forever, you are a part of me  
And the memory cuts like a knife  
Didn't we find the ecstasy, didn't we share the daylight  
When you walked into my life  


Leo stood in his apartment and stared out of the window. The night was a  
dark one, a silent one. The city was so dark this evening, and he didn't have  
to pretend to know why. KD had always been like a daughter to him, and he  
just wanted to help her now. She wouldn't accept anyone's help and now he was  
alone again. Mallory called him as soon as Sam had told her, but she was busy  
with teacher's conferences to come and have dinner with him. He wanted to be  
alone anyway. He wanted to call Toby and talk. He thought they would have  
something in common to talk about, but then again, Toby was never one to talk  
about anything. It always seemed like when something happened with KD, the  
last person Toby wanted to talk to was Leo. Now Leo just stared out the  
window and waited. That's all he could do.

Now and forever, I'll remember  
All the promises still unbroken  
And think about all the words between us  
That never needed to be spoken

Jed sat down on the edge of his bed and glanced at the clock. Suddenly he  
felt his wife's arms around his shoulders and leaned back into her. He was so  
confused by the day and the only thing he found comfort in any more was his  
wife's touch.  
"Things will be okay, sweetie." She assured him.  
"Only when you say that can I believe you. How do you know?" He asked  
softly before kissing her wrist.  
"I know Katy. She loves Toby with all her heart and she's not going to be  
able to stay away." She whispered before kissing his neck.  
"I hope you're right." He whispered back before turning and pressing his  
lips to hers. She smiled through the kiss as he pressed her back on to the  
bed, his arms snaking around her.

We had a moment, just one moment  
That will last beyond a dream, beyond a lifetime  
We are the lucky ones  
Some people never get to do all we got to do  
Now and forever, I will always think of you  


CJ looked at her watch and then back at the television screen. The day  
had been remarkably confusing and she didn't know what to say to herself or  
to Danny when he arrived. She wasn't sure if he already knew, or even if  
cared. KD and Toby. God, it was hard to imagine them apart. It always seemed  
like they couldn't keep their hands off each other and now... A soft knock  
at the door woke CJ up from her daze and brought her back to the real world.  
She stood up and walked to the door, opening it and smiling when she saw  
Danny with a red rose.  
"Hey, you." She said softly.  
"How you feeling?" He asked softly as he offered her the rose and stepped  
into the apartment.  
"Tired. It's been a long day." She replied honestly.  
"Toby and Katy?" Danny asked. CJ nodded. She should have known he'd know.  
"Katy has a problem with accepting happiness. I think she'll be back  
though, CJ." He added.  
"You seem so sure." She said to him as he took her in his arms.  
"I am sure. Toby and Katy are the second greatest couple in the world."  
He whispered softly.  
"Oh? And who are the greatest?" CJ teased.  
"I'll give you one guess." He replied before kissing her gently.

Didn't we come together, didn't we live together  
Didn't we cry together  
Didn't we play together, didn't we laugh together  
And together we lit up the world

KD put the key into the motel room lock and moved inside, bag in hand.  
She closed the door behind her and locked it before looking around the room.  
It was a quaint little place. There was the traditional motel room furniture,  
complete from bed to desk to TV. She sat on the bed and spread her hands  
across the comforter. It felt cold and uninviting. It felt lonely. She was  
lonely too. She'd crossed a state line already and she felt farther away from  
any place she'd ever called home than she ever had before. She wanted to go  
home. She couldn't go home. She knew it too.  
She kicked off her shoes and climbed under the covers, not bothering to  
do anything else. Somewhere, she knew Toby was crawling under the covers too,  
and she wondered if he was thinking of her. She wanted to go back, but she  
couldn't. And she knew it.

I miss the tears, I miss the laughter  
I miss the day we met and all that followed after  
Sometimes I wish I could always be with you  
The way we used to do  


Toby stared at the stars from the window of his bedroom. It had been a  
long day and he just wanted to go to sleep. But staring at the stars made him  
feel somewhat better. He hoped that somewhere out there, KD was looking up at  
the same stars and thinking of him, because then he wouldn't be alone. It had  
been a long day, and a short evening. Toby couldn't help but wonder if he'd  
made the right decisions. For now he would have to let her go.  
For now he would have to be alone.

Now and forever, I will always think of you  
Now and forever, I will always be with you

The End...  
For Now...  
Feedback? Comments? You know I'm teasing you, but come on!!!

~D.C.  
Batman


End file.
